Vertical multipack

ABSTRACT

Multiple side-by-side packages are produced on a vertical form, fill, and seal machine by using a former/delivery tube assembly designed for this purpose. The front and back surfaces of the package are sealed together to form separate pouches. The technology is extendable to more than two pouches simultaneously and can handle pouches of the same or different sizes and food products that are either the same or unlike.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to packaging of a product on avertical form, fill, and seal machine, and more particularly tosimultaneously forming, filling and sealing two or more packagesside-by-side.

[0003] 2. Description of Related Art

[0004] Form, Fill, and Seal

[0005] Vertical form, fill, and seal packaging machines are commonlyused in the snack food industry for forming, filling, and sealing bagsof chips and other like products. One such packaging machine is seendiagrammatically in FIG. 1. This drawing is simplified, and does notshow the cabinet and support structures that typically surround such amachine, but it demonstrates the working of the machine well. Packagingfilm 110 is taken from a roll 112 of film and passed through tensioners114 that keep it taut. The film then passes over a former 116, whichdirects the firm into a vertical tube around a product delivery cylinder118. As the tube is pulled downward by drive belts 120, the verticaltube of film is sealed along its length by a vertical sealer 122,forming a back seal 124. The machine then applies a pair of heat-sealingjaws 126 against the tube to form a transverse seal 128. This transverseseal 128 acts as the top seal on the bag 130 below the sealing jaws 126and the bottom seal on the bag 132 being filled and formed above thejaws 126. After the transverse seal 128 has been formed, a cut is madeacross the sealed area to separate the finished bag 130 below the seal128 from the partially completed bag 132 above the seal. The film tubeis then pushed downward to draw out another package length. Before thesealing jaws form each transverse seal, the product to be packaged isthrough the product delivery cylinder 118 and is held within the tubeabove the transverse seal 128.

[0006] The material that is fed into the form, fill, and seal machine istypically a packaging film, such as polypropylene, polyester, paper,polyolefin extrusions, adhesive laminates, and other such materials, orfrom layered combinations of the above. For many food products, whereflavor retention is important, a metalized layer will form the innermostlayer.

[0007] The form, fill, and seal machines are quite expensive, in therange of $250,000 each, but pay for themselves easily when compared tothe cost of pre-formed bags and the machinery to fill them. However, inorder to maximize the productivity of the form, fill, and seal machines,it is common for the product delivery tube 118 and former 116 to be madeas a unit that is easily interchangeable in less than 15 minutes. Thelength of the transverse seal can also be changed, by exchanging thesealing jaws, or in some cases, merely by exchanging the facing (theportion of the sealing jaws which actually makes contact with thepackaging film). By changing these elements, as well as the width offilm roll feeding into the machine and the programming of the machine,one form, fill, and seal machine can handle a number of differentproducts in different size packages, limited primarily by the width offilm the machine will handle, the maximum length of bag the machine isdesigned to handle, and the available former/delivery tube assemblies.

[0008] Multipacks

[0009] A popular marketing concept is that of packaging two or moreindividually sealed items together. These can be, for example, multiplesingle-servings of one product, or servings of two or more complementaryitems, such as cheese and crackers. While the marketing idea ofmulti-packs may be simple, the translation of that idea to currentpackaging technology can be more difficult. Often, rather than packaginga product into several different packages at the same time, each packageis separately produced, as usual, then the various packages are boxedtogether or over-wrapped to form a multi-pack. It would be preferable tobe able to produce multiple packages fastened together for sales, butwhich could be separated by the consumer for convenience.

[0010] One current solution is the use of a “saddle-bag” pouch, anexample of which is seen in FIG. 2. Here, a product is packaged in atwin-pack 210/211,using a pouch configuration. To achieve this packagingend, the transverse seals 212A and 212D at each end of the twin-pack areseparated from the transverse seals adjacent to them, but no cut is madebetween the two transverse seals 212B and 212C that separate bag 210from bag 211. For convenience to the consumer, perforations 214 areformed in the gap between the two adjacent transverse seals 212B and212C so that the consumer can separate the two pouches easily.

[0011] This method of packaging is limited. Since there is only onedelivery tube, the same product must be packaged in each half of thetwin pack. That is, it is not possible to make attached bags containingdifferent products. Neither is it possible to speed up the packagingprocess. Processes such as creating the transverse seal will take agiven amount of time, regardless of whether the bag is 5 inches acrossor 15 inches. Since the saddle-bag packs must be created and filledindividually, it takes twice as long to make a saddle-bag pack as itdoes to create one regular package of the same size. If bags could beproduced side-by-side, the packaging time for a given number of packageswould be cut, but that has not been possible with the previousmachinery. Further, the programming of the machine (e.g., the length ofbag to pull, where to cut or perforate) will handle only segments ofpackaging of 24 inches or less before the process repeats. This is themaximum length of one impression and limits the size of packages thatcan be produced in saddlebag packs.

[0012] New methods of producing a multi-pack are desirable to maintainand expand the marketability of snack foods. It would be desirable to beable to package several packages side by side in order to fill themsimultaneously and cut the packaging time. It would also be desirable topackage different products in this side-by-side process, and to sealeach item into an appropriately size pouch, even when that meantcreating different sizes of pouches at the same time. Finally, it wouldbe desirable to do all of this using the current form, fill, and sealtechnology, so that no large capital investments are necessary to usethe technology.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0013] In the present invention, side-by-side multi-packs are producedon a vertical form, fill, and seal machine. A specially designedformer/delivery tube assembly shapes the film into side-by-sidepackages, while separate delivery tubes allow identical or differentsnack items to be packaged simultaneously. This inventive packaging canallow new methods of presenting foods to the consumer. Variousembodiments of the invention will have one or more of the followingadvantages:

[0014] the products are packaged side-by-side, increasing throughput andsaving time;

[0015] different products can be packaged simultaneously, as well asproducing multi-packs of the same product;

[0016] the sizes of the different packages can be individuallydetermined to best fit the product; and

[0017] the multi-packs are produced on standard form, fill, and sealmachines, requiring only new former/delivery tube assemblies and, whenmore than two bags are formed side-by-side, additional sealers to formthe vertical seals.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The novel features believed characteristic of the invention areset forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as wellas a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof,will be best understood by reference to the following detaileddescription of illustrative embodiments when read in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0019]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art form, fill, and sealmachine.

[0020]FIG. 2 is a cross-section of a prior art saddle-bag package.

[0021]FIGS. 3A and B are front and top views respectively of anexemplary twin-pack produced using a vertical form, fill, and sealmachine.

[0022]FIG. 4A is a front view of an exemplary former/delivery tubeassembly that can be used to package the side-by-side twin-packs ofFIGS. 3A and B.

[0023]FIG. 4B is a side view of the former/delivery tube assembly ofFIG. 4a.

[0024]FIG. 5 is a cross-section of the former/delivery tube assemblytaken at point 5-5′ of FIG. 4B.

[0025]FIG. 6 is a cross-section of the former/delivery tube assemblytaken at point 6-6′ of FIG. 4B.

[0026]FIG. 7 shows a cross-section of an exemplary former/delivery tubeassembly designed to produce a three-pack containing different products.

[0027]FIG. 8 shows an exemplary package produced using theformer/delivery tube assembly of FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] An exemplary embodiment of the invention will now be discussedwith reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B. FIG. 3A is a diagrammatical frontview of a twin-pack 310 produced by the assignee of this application ona vertical form, fill, and seal machine. Like the previous bags, ahorizontal transverse seal 302, 304 runs all the way across the top andthe bottom of the twin-pack. However, the back seal, which seals the twohalves of the back together, is replaced by a longitudinal seal 306,which seals each of the two halves of the back to the front of thepackage, forming two separate pouches 310A, 310B from the packagingfilm. Longitudinal seal 306 is wide enough that the two pouches 310A,310B can be separated without destroying the integrity of either pouch,and preferably has a feature to aid the consumer in separating the twobags. This feature can be a line of perforations 308 to tear along, orit can be another, newer means of separation. FIG. 3B is adiagrammatical cross-section of twin-pack 310 at line B-B′. Thehorizontal transverse seal 302 is seen along the tops of the bags 310A,310B, which are separated by the longitudinal seal 306.

[0029]FIGS. 4A and 4B show a former/delivery tube assembly 400 that wasdesigned to make the twin-packs of FIGS. 3A and 3B. Twin delivery tubes402 run the length of the assembly to deliver the product into thepackages prior to making the final seal. The former 404 provides acurved surface across which the packaging film can be smoothly led intothe correct shape around all surfaces of the two delivery tubes 402. Inthe rear of the assembly, an extension 404E of the former runs behindthe delivery tubes in order to provide a support structure for theformation of the longitudinal seal. In the middle of the formerextension 404E, a strip of teflon 406 provides a no-stick surfaceagainst which the sealer can press the film to create the longitudinalseal. Support posts 410 provide support for the structure and a handleby which the assembly can be held when installing or removing theassembly, while stabilizer bars 412 provide additional stability.

[0030]FIG. 5 is a cross-section of the former/delivery tube assemblydiscussed above, taken at line 5-5′ in FIG. 4B, although it is seen asif one were standing in front of the machine. It is important to notethat the delivery tubes 402 are not completely cylindrical, as were theprior art tubes, but are somewhat teardrop shaped, with their narrowestpoints near the sealing area 502. In this particular embodiment, thedelivery tubes 402 have a circular cross-section through 255° of thecircle, with 105° degrees forming the narrowing portion of the teardropshape. At this level of the assembly, the two delivery tubes 402, joinedat the midpoint of the assembly, are completely surrounded by the formertube 404T, which forces the film material to maintain the flattened areawhere the seal will be made.

[0031]FIG. 6 is a cross-section of the former/delivery tube assembly,taken at line 6-6′. At this level, the delivery tubes 402 are no longerjoined to each other, while only the extension 404E of the former tuberemains along the back of the tubes 402. As previously mentioned, thisextension 404E of the former tube provides support against which thelongitudinal seal can be formed. A strip of velcro tape 606 is applieddown the middle of the former tube extension, to which will be attacheda strip of padding having a teflon coating. The teflon surface keeps thefilm from sticking to the assembly, while the velcro makes the teflonpadding easily replaceable.

[0032] When the packaging film is fed into the twin-pack former, the twolateral edges of the material are wrapped around the delivery tubes andapproach each other at the midline of the machine, in the seal area 502.These edges can be somewhat overlapped in the final package, or they canmeet in a butt joint. In some instances, it can be desirable to bringthe two edges of the film close together, but not abutting each other,so that the very middle of the twin-pack is a single layer of film.

[0033] To change from packaging single bags to twin-packs, a machineoperator need only change out the current former/delivery tube assemblyfor an embodiment of the disclosed assembly. Depending on the respectivesizes and types of bags being made, it may also be necessary to changeout the packaging film, and the sealers or facings. These, however, arechanges that the operator performs on a daily basis, and do not disruptthe flow of packaging unduly.

[0034] Once the machine has been changed to accommodate twin packs, thepacking process is run as usual, except that product is delivered intoboth delivery tubes of the assembly. In the presently preferredembodiment, separation of the two pouches, as well as opening of thepouches, is provided by a small vertical cut that extends partiallythrough the horizontal seal area. Preferably, this vertical cut is madeby the knife assembly at the same time that the package is separatedfrom the packages either above or below it. Also preferably, the cut ismade in the region of a set of laser scorings that help the packagingmaterial to tear in a straight line.

[0035] Alternate Embodiments

[0036] While the embodiment above has been described in terms of twoequal-sized packages of identical products, these are certainly notlimitations. For instance, the assembly described above can be modifiedto produce pouches of different sizes, with different products in eachpouch. One example would be to package a sample size of a chip having anew seasoning side-by-side with a regular size package of a popularflavor.

[0037] Additionally, the two products to be packaged need not be similartypes of foods. For example, a slim tube of a dip can be packagedside-by-side with a wider package of chips, or a dip with pre-cutvegetables. Sauces and other seasonings can be packaged side-by-sidewith the foods they are served.

[0038] Additionally, this packaging technology can be adapted for morethan two packages across. The number of side-by side packages is limitedprimarily by the size of the form, fill, and seal machine and the widthof film that it can handle, so that a machine that can handle widerpackaging films could produce greater numbers of side-by-side packages.FIG. 7 shows a cross-section of a former/delivery tube assembly tocreate a triple-pack having unequal sized pouches. Three delivery tubesare seen, 702A, 702B, and 702C. Tubes 702A and 702C have the teardropshape seen in the former for the twin pack, while delivery tube 702Bmaintains a cylindrical outline only in the outer 150°. This figure isshown at the level where the former tubing 704 still surrounds thedelivery tubes.

[0039]FIG. 8 shows an exemplary package produced using the assembly ofFIG. 7. Upper transverse seal 802 and lower transverse seal 804 arestandard; longitudinal seals 806 divide the package into pouches 810A,810B, and 810C. Note that there are three different sized pouches andthat they can contain unlike products. It is anticipated that packagingsuch as this could be used to package an entire meal side-by side. Inone exemplary embodiment, pre-cooked rice or noodles are packaged in onepouch, a meat sauce is packaged in a second pouch, and vegetables arepackaged in a third package. In this exemplary embodiment, the entirepackage can be placed in a microwave or in boiling water for heating,after which the foods are removed from the packaging for consumption.

[0040] From the disclosure above, it will be seen that this inventivemethod of packaging has many advantages over the existing method. Inaddition to gaining the marketing advantages of multi-packs, theproducts are packaged side-by-side, increasing throughput and savingtime. Additionally, different products can be packaged simultaneously inpackage sizes determined individually, yet the capital investment to doso is small (on the order of $2,500-5,000 per former/fill tubeassembly), as opposed to the cost of the form, fill, and seal machine,which is 100 times more expensive.

[0041] While the invention has been particularly shown and describedwith reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood by thoseskilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be madetherein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A product package having a first and a second edge opposite each other, said package comprising: a first pouch; a second pouch, attached to said first pouch and separated from said first pouch by a first seal; a second seal that runs across said first edge of said package, perpendicular to and intersecting said first seal; and a third seal that runs across said second edge of said package, perpendicular to and intersecting said first seal; wherein said product package is formed from a single sheet of film.
 2. The product package of claim 1, wherein said first and said second pouches are of equal size.
 3. The product package of claim 1, wherein said first and said second pouches are of unequal size.
 4. The product package of claim 1, wherein said first seal is laser scored for easy separation of said first and second pouches.
 5. The product package of claim 1, wherein said first and second pouches contain the same product.
 6. The product package of claim 1, wherein said first and second pouches contain complementary food products.
 7. The product package of claim 1, wherein said first and second pouches contain dissimilar food products.
 8. The of product package of claim 1, wherein said film has one or more layers, said layers being formed of materials from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyester, paper, polyolefin extrusions, and adhesive laminates.
 9. A vertical form, fill, and seal machine having the capability of producing a plurality of side-by-side packages.
 10. The vertical form, fill, and seal machine of claim 9, wherein said vertical form, fill, and seal machine forms a single sheet of packaging film into a package having a front surface and a back surface and makes a vertical seal that seals a portion of said front surface to a portion of said back surface.
 11. The vertical form, fill, and seal machine of claim 9, wherein said produces side-by-side packages that contain identical products.
 12. The vertical form, fill, and seal machine of claim 9, wherein said machine produces side-by-side packages that contain different products.
 13. The vertical form, fill, and seal machine of claim 9, wherein said machine is capable of producing side-by-side packages that are the same size.
 14. The vertical form, fill, and seal machine of claim 9, wherein said machine is capable of producing side-by-side packages that are unequal in size.
 15. A method of packaging products, comprising: feeding a roll of packaging film into a vertical form, fill, and seal machine such that said packaging film is directed to form a front surface and a back surface for a plurality of pouches; forming a vertical seal on said packaging film, wherein said vertical seal seals a portion of said front surface to a portion of said back surface; forming a first horizontal seal on said packaging film; and after advancing said film a given distance, forming a second horizontal seal on said packaging film; wherein said vertical seal extends from said first horizontal seal to said second horizontal seal.
 16. The packaging method of claim 15, further comprising, prior to forming said second horizontal seal, placing a plurality of products into first and second pouches that are separated by said vertical seal.
 17. The method of claim 15, wherein said plurality of food products are identical foods.
 18. The method of claim 15, wherein said plurality of food products are dissimilar.
 19. The method of claim 15, wherein said side-by-side packages are of equal size.
 20. The method of claim 15, wherein said side-by-side packages are of unequal size.
 21. The method of claim 15, wherein more than two side-by-side packages are produced.
 22. The method of claim 15, further comprising forming an aid to separation between said side-by-side packages.
 23. The method of claim 15, wherein said packaging step uses a single sheet of packaging film.
 24. A method of packaging products, comprising the steps of: installing, on a vertical form, fill, and seal machine, a former and multiple delivery tubes designed to produce multiple side-by-side packages; packaging a plurality of products into side-by-side packages.
 25. The method of claim 24, further comprising forming a vertical seal that seals a front portion of said package to a back portion of said package to form said side-by-side packages.
 26. The method of claim 24, further comprising forming first and second horizontal seals, separated from each other by a vertical distance, which are each intersected by a vertical seal that seals a front portion of said package to a back portion of said package to form said side-by-side packages.
 27. The method of claim 24, wherein said packaging step uses a single sheet of packaging film.
 28. The method of claim 24, wherein said plurality of food products are identical foods.
 29. The method of claim 24, wherein said plurality of food products are dissimilar.
 30. The method of claim 24, wherein said side-by-side packages are of equal size.
 31. The method of claim 24, wherein said side-by-side packages are of unequal size.
 32. The method of claim 24, wherein more than two side-by-side packages are produced.
 33. The method of claim 24, further comprising forming an aid to separation between said side-by-side packages.
 34. The method of claim 24, wherein said packaging step uses a single sheet of packaging film. 